Clemson defender tabbed as prospect who can vault into NFL draft first round

Ruke Orhorhoro was tabbed by Pro Football Focus as one of a handful of prospects who could vault into the NFL draft first round conversation.

by TigerNet Staff - Mon Jun 19 09:22:09 GMT-04:00 2023

Ruke Orhorhoro was tabbed by Pro Football Focus as one of a handful of prospects who could vault into the NFL draft first-round conversation come 2024.

"On a loaded Tigers front seven, Orhorhoro might be the most versatile of the bunch. The fifth-year senior logged snaps from edge defender all the way into nose tackle in 2022, and he only earned one sub-60.0 grade all season. The former three-star recruit was one of only four ACC defensive linemen to earn a 75.0 grade or better as both a pass-rusher and run defender last year. Another season showing off that well-rounded game could move him up draft boards this fall," PFF's Cody Milardo said.

Both Orhorhoro and Tyler Davis made PFF's ten interior defensive linemen to watch for the 2024 NFL draft.

"Davis impressed as a true freshman in 2019 with a 79.6 grade before battling injuries over the following two seasons," said Max Chadwick. "Finally healthy in 2022, the senior returned to his dominant ways, as his 82.9 grade was a top-10 figure among Power Five interior defensive linemen. His 36 pressures were fourth among that same group as well."

Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was the lone Tiger to get a first-round projection by the outlet shortly after the end of the 2023 draft.

"The son of former All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Sr., the sophomore linebacker has lived up to his father’s name and then some," said Chadwick. "he younger Trotter excels on passing plays, as he was the only Power Five linebacker with 80-plus grades as a pass-rusher and in coverage. Trotter was second in that same group in both passer rating allowed (42.9) and open target rate allowed (47.6%)."

Orhororo did have a couple of first-round projections in that set of early, early predictions around the Web, as well as Andrew Mukuba and Barrett Carter.

Also in PFF's potential first-round group was South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler.